From Earning Rs 90 As A Canteen Worker To Building A Rs 4,000-Crore Potato Wafers Brand, Know About The Gujarati Person Who Rose To Success Defeating Extreme Financial Pressure

New Delhi: Life can seem bleak at times, but if you keep going and believe in yourself, you can turn everything around, illuminating the path for others to follow. In today’s success story, we’ll learn about Chandubhai Virani, a 10-class pass Gujarati businessman who stood the test of time, worked in a canteen for a monthly salary of Rs 90, and started Balaji Wafers, which today generates Rs 4,000 crore in revenue. Chandubhai Virani, the founder and director of Balaji Wafers, lives a life that inspires us to persevere in the face of terrible adversity and to have faith that bad things always turn out for the best.

Early Life Of Chandubhai Virani

Chandubhai Virani was born into a family of farmers in Gujarat. It was in the year 1974 when the Virani brothers were compelled to leave their Jamnagar hamlet and travel to Rajkot in quest of a job. After selling some land, their father offered them Rs 20,000 to start a new life. The brothers started a small business selling farm supplies in Rajkot which failed miserably. 

Birth Of Balaji Wafers

Even if their hopes were dashed, their resolve never wavered. Chandubhai and his brother persisted in looking for employment, which led them to the Astron Cinema canteen. Chandubhai began his job in the canteen for a monthly salary of Rs 90. In addition to serving as a canteen employee, Chandubhai also performed odd jobs including door keeping, affixing posters, and chair repair.

Chandubhai and his family had a terrible time making ends meet. Once they were under such extreme financial pressure that they had to vacate the rented property because they lacked the Rs. 50 required to pay the rent. But Chandubhai was given a chance of a lifetime, which drastically changed the path of his life. With their efforts in the canteen, Chandubhai and his brothers acquired a contract of Rs 1,000 per month with which Chandubhai built a small shed in the courtyard and began making chips from his one-room home.

To market their wafers, Chandubhai and his brothers came up with the name “Balaji.” Their fledgling wafer business began to receive enthusiastic support both inside and outside the theatre. However, the first several days were difficult for them. The brothers had to travel from one shop to another while carrying bags of wafers on their bicycles and bikes. This continued for some time. 

With time Balaji started gaining widespread praise for its quality and taste. Balaji converted to a private limited company in 1995. Later, it added namkeen and other snacks to the product line. 

Today Balaji is the largest wafer brand in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. The snacks manufacturer is also promoting a pan-Indian presence.

Balaji Wafers Revenue

According to reports, revenue of Balaji Wafers’ led by Chandubhai Virani as of FY21 was Rs 4,000 crore.